Apron-wheel.



l.. A. KRUPP.

APRON WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 050.12. Ism.

PfIIenIed Img. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET a'v I' III WITNESSES;

L. A. KRUPP.

yAPRoN WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 12, 1913. 4

l Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mig E@ INVENTOR.

i a n s f LEO ALBERT KRUPP, OF FINDLAY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE BUCKEYETRACTION DITCHER COMPANY, OF FINDLAY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

APRON-WHEEL.

y To allfwlwm it may concern.'

apparatus. is supported on the driving links.

' operating the aprons.

' shall describe it hereinafter.

Be it known that I, LEoA. Knorr, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of.

FindlayI` in the countyi of Hancock and State of Ohio, have invented a'certain new and useful Apron-lVheel; and I do hereby. ,f declare thefollowing to be a fullcle'ahr, a .nd-

exact description of the invention 'suchi will enable others skilledinthe arttowhlch 1t appertainslto make and use theisfrndfref;

erence being had to the accompanying d'lcly?Y ings, and to thecharacters f' of referencey marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. 'Y

My invention relates to'aapron wheels.

"C It has for its object to produce an. apron wheel wherein the loadiscarried on a means having a broad .supporting surface located on anapron. i

In the devices now known in the art the weight of the conveyance,machine or other It also consists in provi'fding'in a tractionv apron.-shoes having interi ting dirt shield strips for the protectiono thjemechanism.

The invention may be contained inmany constructions all of which comewithin purview of my claims hereinafter appended. To show thepracticability of constructions embodying my invention, I have selectedone of such constructions as an example andl The construction selectedis illustrated in the accompanying drawings. j

.Figure 1 in the drawings is a side view of the traction apron. Fig. 2is a top plan view of'the apron. Fig. 3v is a cross sectional view ofthesame on line -m. Fig. 4 illustrates'an apron-shoe and its parts.

Specification of Letters Patnt. f

',.- may vbolt ,A nec'ted together by means of pivot pins 13. The''apr0n -is driven .by means of the members of the aprons. Each clampingmember 21 has a threaded Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application led December 12, 19.13. Serial No. 806,321.

centrally located journals orhub bearings 2 in which a shaft vor axle'3, Fig. 3, may be located. The shaft 3 supports the superf structure ofthe machine.

'Elie-apron 10 is provided with a pluralityy of interconnecting tractionmembers which i to links 12J The links 12 are consprocket wheel 14located on the shaft 15 which may be connected to a power mechanism bymeans Vof* a differential. The sprocket 14 isiconneied with the sprocket16 by means ofthe chain/,17. The sprocket 16 isv mounted on the shaft 18to which is keyed the apron sprockets19 which coact with the links 12 topropel the apron. Sprocket AWheelsZO also operate to support the apronvand guide it in its beltlike movement over the sprockets 19 and Q0. Thesprocketsv 19 and 20 are journaled in the frame 1 and are braced by thebracing or spreading members 21 which extend between the journal boxes 2and the journal boxes` of thesprocket wheels 19 and Q0 and operate tospready the sprockets of theapron 19 and 20 and thus adjust themwithrespect to any wear or looseness that may exist betweeniconnectingrod connected to a block 22 at one end.' The other end is located in ablock 23 movable lengthwise with respect to the rod. Nuts 24C located onthe threaded end of the rod may be rotated which will bear against theblock 23 and thus spreadthe journalsgand.

A. plurality of rollers 30 having comparatively broad' surfaces areclosely positioned beneath the frame 1. The rollers are keyed totheirjournals which rotate in' covered journal boxes 31. The rollers move inchannel track sections .10, Fig; 3, which are bolted to the shoes 11between the links 12. The ends of .the track section register with eachother successively so that they' form one continuous track on which lthebroad bearing rollers 30 roll. The ends of the track sections 40 areinclined or beveled as at' 41- in order that as the shoesturn aroundiconsist of short planks 11 which are" The channel track does away withflanged rollers which are sometimes used and permits the close placementof the rollers, which also permits the provision of a large number ofbearing rollers. Furthermore, channel irons used for the track sectionshave strong side 4flanges for guiding the wheels, while .the flangeslocated on wheels are liable to fracture. The rollers arechilled-surfaced which form good supporting bearing sur faces for,supporting the machine and superstructure. Driving links l beingprovided independent to the bearing tracks relieves a large part of thestrain which is otherwise brought to beai'iupon the links if they formthe supporting track, The channel track sections being bolted to theplanks to which also the links are secured, the pivot points of thelinks'lie substantially in the same planewith the bottoms of the channeltrack sections and the traction members being flat, the rollers arebrought close to the surface traveled over by the apron wheel. Thisprevents lateral wabbling or swinging of the structure. The apron isalso provided With a dirt shield which consists of the interineshing oroverlapping plates which close the spaces between the shoes 11. Theplates 50 are provided with segmental cylindrical overlapping parts 5lwhich have their aXes in the axis of the pivotpins which lock togetherassociated links so Athat as the shoes are carried around the sprockets19 and 20 they present a closed and continuous -dirt shield whichprevents the dirt from entering the interior of the apron to a largeextent and from reaching the mechanism.

'Ilieshoes may be made of metal or of wood. AIf they are made of woodthey may Y ble provided with exterior sheet metal traction coverings orshoes having one or more corrugations 61 which engage with the i surfaceover which the engine or machine s may be carried.

The constructions selected and described may be greatly varied inarrangement and -connection of.its parts andin the substitution" ofelements having equivalent functions without departing from the spiritof the invention.,

What I -clainias new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is asfollows:

l. In a traction apron, the combination of asupporting frame having ahub bearing secured centrally and bearing rollers secured to the saidframe, traction members having registering bearing channel irons inwhich the rollers move, driving links located on opposite sides of thesaid channel track sections and'in the plane of the bottom of the'channel track sections.

' 2. In a traction apron, the combination of a frame extendingsubstantially the length of the apron and having two sprocket .wheels ateach end and a hub bearing in the center,

bearing rollers located on the under side ot the frame, a plurality ofconnected planks, shoes secured to the planks, each having a registeringchannel track section and driving links located on each side of thechannel track section and in close proximity to the plane of the bottomof the channel track sections and operated upon by the sprockets.

3. In a traction apron, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofinterconnected flat traction members having registering channel tracksections, interconnectedl driving links located on each side of thetrack sections, overlapping shield strips located on tlie inside of thesaid traction members for closing the spacesbetween the edges of theVtraction members, bearing rollers secured to the links and forming abearing for the rollers, the planks having overlapping sheet metalstrips bolted to the inside thereof for closing the spaces between t-lieside edges of the planks and sheet metal traction engaging parts boltedon the outside thereof.

5. In a traction apron, the combination of a frame, a pair of drivingsprockets located on each end of the frame, bearing rollers j'ournaledin the frame, a plurality of planks, driving links for connecting the'planks together and coacting with the sprockets for driving the apron,the planks having registering channel track sections having bearingslocated in substantially the same plane with the links forming a bearingfor the rollers, and the said planks having sheet metal strips.

6. In a traction apron, the combination of a frame having two sprocketwheels carried at each end and an axle bearing located in the center ofthe frame, an axle'supported in said bearing, bearing rollers located onthe under side of the frame and bearings for pivotally securing thebearing rollers to the under side of the frame, a pluralityofconoverlapping protective nected traction members, each havingregistering channel irons forming channel track sections for containingthe bearing vrollers and driving links located on each side of the`channel track and operated upon by the' sprockets.

7. In a traction apron, the combination of carried `at each end and anaXle bearing Cil located inthe center of the frame, an axle vsupportedinsaid bearing, bearing rollers and bearing members for pivotally securingtherollers to the under side of the fra-Ine, a pluralityof -liattraction members, each 'having `registering channel irons forming acontinuous .channel track and for containlng. the 'bearing rollers andconnected driving links located on each side of the channel tracksection and secured to the traction members in substantially the planeof the bottom of .the channel irons and `operated upon by the sprocketsand means for driving one of the sprockets.

8. linfa traction apron, the combination of 'y ay framf'and having twosprocket Wheels at each 'en d and an axle bearing in the center, meansfor drivingv the sprockets, bearing rollers pivotally secured to theunder side of the frame, avplurality of traction members, shoes securedto the traction members, each member having registering channel tracksections and driving links located on each side 'ott the channel tracksection and secured to the traction members and substantially in theplane of the bottom of the channel track sections and operated upon bythe sprockets. 5

9. ln a traction apron, .the combination of a frame, sprocket Wheelssupported at the ends of ethe` frame and an aXle bearing located in thecenter of the frame, an axle supported in said bearing, bearing rollershaving aXles, the said frame having bearing members located on the underside of the frame for pivotally securing the bearing rollers and for`supporting the frame on the axles of the bearing rollers, a pluralityof traction members having registering'channel irons forming acontinuous channel track for the bearing rollers, and drivin linkssecured to the ,traction members an operated upon by the sprockets andmeans for driving the sprockets.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

A LEO ALBERT KRUPP.

Witnesses:

R. H. OBRIEN, GRACE SHANK'.

